After the Snow Comes the Spring
by iluvdimples314
Summary: "The rest of the Poets had gone inside, but Charlie refused; he wasn't going to leave Todd out here alone. Especially when he must have felt more alone than ever before in his seventeen years of life." Hurt/Comfort one-shot. Slash if you have goggles on.


Charlie trudged through the snow towards the dock, swiping tears from his face with his gloved hands. The rest of the Poets had gone inside, but Charlie refused; he wasn't going to leave Todd out here alone. Especially when he must have felt more alone than ever before in his seventeen years of life.

Todd was slumped in the snow halfway down the dock. He wasn't sitting or lying down, but had collapsed somewhere in the middle and didn't seem keen on moving. When Charlie reached him, he examined his face closely, wordlessly. His cheeks and the tip of his nose were bright red, and his lips were beginning to turn a ghostly shade of blue.

"Todd," Charlie coaxed softly, his voice thick. He cleared his throat and crouched down next to the other boy, wrapping a hand around his shoulder. Noticing now that Todd was trembling, Charlie repeated his plea with increased urgency. "Todd, we have to get inside. You'll freeze."

For a long moment, there was nothing to be heard except the vicious wind ripping through the barren branches. In a low, warbling monotone, Todd spoke. "What makes you think I don't want to freeze."

Eyes wide, Charlie removed his hand from Todd's shoulder. He looked out at the frozen expanse of the lake, and he somehow knew that Todd was looking too. Todd was choking down every ounce of beauty, trying to somehow accept that Neil's once-glittering brown eyes would never see anything ever again.

Suddenly, Todd was on his hands and knees, retching in vain. Charlie had never been the touchy-feely type around the Poets, but now he did the only thing he could think to do: He wrapped his arms around Todd, trying to calm him, trying to absorb his pain, trying to show him that there was someone who cared. Someone who wasn't going to leave him alone.

Charlie absorbed every tremor until Todd leaned back into his waiting embrace. He waited stoically, arms encircling the other boy, until Todd's muffled sobs ceased to wrack his entire body. "C'mon, Todd. Let's go inside."

And this time, Todd offered no resistance. He got to his feet and began to shuffle up the hill. Charlie followed close behind, never removing his eyes from the back of Todd's head.

When the pair reached the dormitory entrance, Charlie stepped ahead and pulled the door open. He didn't imagine Todd had the strength to wiggle his fingers, much less handle the unwieldy wooden door. After a moment's hesitation and a last glance over his shoulder, Todd stepped through.

Charlie caught sight of Todd's blue-tinged lips once again, and he reached out to steer him toward the showers. "Have to warm you up," he explained, squeezing the other boy's shoulder. He hoped that Todd could feel the sympathy through four layers of clothing.

After a walk much too long for Charlie's liking, they stepped into Welton's showering room. Neither one of them knew precisely what to do now, hoping that the other would take the lead. Fortunately for Charlie, Todd moved first, frozen fingers struggling with the buttons of his coat.

Wordlessly, Charlie removed his gloves and stepped in front of Todd. He unfastened the coat, tossing it unceremoniously to the floor. After a beat of hesitation, he pulled Todd's forest green sweater over his head, then his undershirt.

Wrapping his arms securely around his own torso, Todd moved to the long metal bench and sat down, bashfully extending his boot-clad feet.

Charlie obliged, tugging them off gently. The button and zipper of Todd's pants required assistance, but Todd stood up and removed them himself. There was a slightly awkward moment of hesitation as Todd stood before Charlie in his boxer shorts, wondering if he should take them off, too. Charlie shrugged noncommittally and the shivering boy remained in the solitary item of clothing that he still possessed.

Realizing Todd was going to need his help, Charlie quickly stripped down to his own boxers and stepped into the rightmost shower, twisting the knob to the left until the pair of them was shrouded in a cloud of steam. He took a moment to get used to the water temperature, then gestured for Todd to join him.

As soon as the blue-eyed boy stepped under the spray, his entire frame slumped in relief. So much, actually, that he almost collapsed to the ground.

Charlie reached out to catch him, but ultimately ended up next to him on the tiled floor. Laughter burst forth from his mouth, as if it had been waiting to escape his lungs for an entire day. He waited for Todd's echoing chuckle, but it never came.

Todd curled into himself, resting his head between his knees. Desperate sobs ripped out of his chest, and his body no longer shook with cold.

After mere seconds, Charlie could physically feel his heart aching. He scooted over to the wall of the shower and leaned against it, then pulled Todd into his arms once again. This time, he was met with no resistance. Todd tucked his head into the crook of Charlie's neck, accepted the arm wrapped protectively around his shoulders. And for the first time since Neil's death, Todd cried for himself.

"He left me," Todd whimpered, each word punctuated by a sharp intake of breath.

Nodding somberly, Charlie tightened his grip around the other boy. He buried his face in Todd's damp hair and let the tears fall in unison with the moisture from the showerhead.

After several long minutes, Charlie lifted his head and used his free hand to push Todd's bangs off his forehead. Healthy color had returned to his face. "Think we can turn it off now," he murmured, and Todd nodded against his collarbone. Neither boy really wanted to let go of the other.

Contorting his body in ways he never thought possible, Charlie managed to twist the knob behind him, and the steamy spray ceased. Without thinking, he pressed his lips to Todd's forehead. There was no sexual motive behind the kiss, just the need to comfort him the only way Charlie knew how.

Todd leaned into the momentary contact, then wordlessly pulled away and got to his feet.

Realizing now that he hadn't thought to grab a towel, Charlie scanned the room until he spotted one draped over the side of one of the sinks. He grabbed it and wrapped it around Todd's trembling frame. "You still cold?" he inquired softly.

Sheepishly, Todd nodded.

"Dry off, then. We should probably put our clothes back on," Charlie told him, knowing full well that they would get some very weird looks if they walked the corridors in wet underwear. He waited patiently as Todd toweled himself off the best he could, then helped him to redress. After making sure that Todd was perched safely on the bench, he grabbed the damp towel and did the same.

Charlie sat down next to Todd, resting his elbows on his knees. "I think they'll understand if we miss class today." He hadn't even convinced himself. "And if they don't, screw 'em."

He could've sworn he saw a smile ghost Todd's face, but he blinked and it was gone.

"C'mon," Charlie grunted, getting to his feet. Todd swiped at the end of his nose and followed suite, arms still crossed tightly over his chest. They easily navigated the sea of students in the corridors and on the stairs because a path seemed to appear wherever they went. After the memorial assembly, a silent understanding had passed through every boy at Welton Academy: Treat Neil's friends with quiet courtesy, because they had just lost one of their own.

No words passed between Charlie and Todd when they reached the hallway of their destination; neither one of them wanted to go anywhere near Neil's stripped bed, Neil's empty dresser, Neil's unfurnished desk. So Charlie opened the door of his own dorm, knowing full well that Cameron would be in class.

He walked in slowly and yanked down the blankets on his own bed, curling a beckoning finger.

Gratefully, Todd walked over and lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, tugging off his own boots this time. He crawled under the covers and wrapped his arms around his knees. His eyelids drooped closed.

Charlie crossed the room and pulled the topmost blanket from Cameron's bed, then spread it over Todd. The shivering finally ceased, and Charlie smiled the way his mother did when he was small, standing in the doorway to his bedroom, just before she turned out the lights. He pulled the desk chair flush against the bed and sat down.

Todd breathed deeply through his nose and uncurled his body, rolling onto his stomach. "Thanks, Charlie." He opened his red-rimmed eyes and offered a half-formed grin.

Charlie nodded wordlessly and tucked the blankets under Todd's chin. He ran his hand soothingly up and down the other boy's back until his breathing slowed and his eyes closed once again. "You're welcome," he whispered to Todd's sleeping form.

Then, Charlie stood and walked over to the window. After several days of relentlessly heavy snowfall, delicate flakes drifted down, sparkling and intricate. Like a gift from the heavens.

Charlie rested his forehead against the glass, tears pooling in the corners of his gentle brown eyes. He gazed unseeingly into the landscape. "Neil," he whispered, then softly cleared his throat. Everything went perfectly silent and still, as if the air itself was waiting for Charlie to speak.

"I'll take care of him for you."

And then the snow stopped.


End file.
